Self-cited researchers in China: Top 2% scientists 2026
Live Directory analytics: the China mean self_citation_pct is about 9.80% (rank 115 of 170). The China-scoped author ranking opens with Guo, Guangbao (92.31%, 364 citations).
Which China Top 2% scientists have the highest self-citation share?
Direct answer: ABS Nexora ranks researchers by the native field self_citation_pct (Stanford–Ioannidis self%). Scoped to country=chn for the 2026 single-year listing, the author ranking opens with Guo, Guangbao (Shandong University of Technology; 92.31%; 364 total citations). That is a share of that author’s citations, not a claim that China is a high-self-citation system.
The China country mean on rankings metric avg_self_citation_pct is about 9.80% across 35,681 listed scholars — rank 115 of 170 countries. India is about 11.83% (n=6,940); Bangladesh is about 12.30% (n=347). Malaysia is about 8.66% (n=939); the United States mean is about 8.30% (n=73,459).
Tail caveat: a 35,681-scholar file still has a long percentage tail. The names at the top of this ranking are not the same names as the China top researchers panel. Read the author table and the country rank together.
What the Directory is actually ranking
| Element | Native API field | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| Per researcher | self_citation_pct | Stanford–Ioannidis self% for that author |
| Per country | avg_self_citation_pct | Mean of those percentages |
| China authors | /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=chn | Paginated China ranking |
| Country sort | /api/analytics/rankings?metric=avg_self_citation_pct | 170 countries in this snapshot |
This is not “most self-citations in absolute counts.” A researcher with 200 citations and an 85% self-share can outrank a researcher with 45,000 citations and a 10% self-share.
Top of the China self-citation author ranking
| Researcher | Institution | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Guo, Guangbao | Shandong University of Technology | Mathematics & Statistics | 92.31% | 364 | 49,191 |
| Li, Jinfeng | Beijing Institute of Technology | Information & Communication Technologies | 91.60% | 393 | 24,668 |
| Gul, Muhammad Zeeshan | Tongji University | Physics & Astronomy | 77.09% | 598 | 124,084 |
| Chen, Lingen | Wuhan Institute of Technology | Engineering | 76.17% | 386 | 285,864 |
| Xie, Ping | University of Chinese Academy of Sciences | Physics & Astronomy | 75.15% | 169 | 146,304 |
| Gaidai, Oleg | Shanghai Ocean University | Engineering | 75.04% | 1,739 | 4,913 |
| Cao, Yu | Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Marine Renewable Energy | Engineering | 72.02% | 779 | 190,570 |
| Wang, Yang | Zhengzhou University of Light Industry | Chemistry | 71.95% | 353 | 199,435 |
| Ji, Shuguan | Jilin University | Mathematics & Statistics | 68.22% | 129 | 243,690 |
| Feng, Huijun | Wuhan Institute of Technology | Engineering | 67.73% | 1,004 | 92,671 |
Small-n caveat: several names near the top have under 400 total citations (Guo 364, Li 393, Chen 386, Xie 169, Wang Yang 353, Ji 129). Percentages swing hard on small denominators. Always read citations (all) and global rank next to self_citation_pct. None of these ten appear on the China top researchers rank_all panel.
Higher-citation China names still high on self-citation %
Filtering the same China pull to researchers with ≥1,000 total_citations_all:
| Researcher | Field | self_citation_pct | Citations (all) | Global rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gaidai, Oleg | Engineering | 75.04% | 1,739 | 4,913 |
| Javed, Faisal | Physics & Astronomy | 61.18% | 1,342 | 11,389 |
| Zhao, Changlin | Biomedical Research | 59.30% | 1,592 | 88,745 |
| Norphanphoun, Chada | Biomedical Research | 58.99% | 1,658 | 192,359 |
| Li, Xinghui | Enabling & Strategic Technologies | 64.53% | 1,421 | 46,213 |
| Fu, Huishan | Earth & Environmental Sciences | 64.75% | 1,115 | 92,566 |
| Ge, Yanlin | Enabling & Strategic Technologies | 67.50% | 1,074 | 122,726 |
Gaidai, Oleg (Shanghai Ocean University; Engineering) is a useful mid-rank example: 75.04% self-citation share, 1,739 citations, global rank 4,913. Javed, Faisal has 1,342 citations at 61.18% (rank 11,389).
China is large and, on average, below the South Asia means
Stat sentence: Among 170 countries ranked by avg_self_citation_pct, China is #115 at about 9.80%, with a 35,681-scholar cohort. That mean sits below India (11.83%) and Bangladesh (12.30%) and above Malaysia (8.66%) and the United States (8.30%). High individual China percentages exist in the tail; they do not make this a world-leading self-citation system.
How to use this metric responsibly
- Prefer the profile over a screenshot of one percentage.
- Compare all-citations vs excluding-self (
ns) ranks on the same scholar page. - Do not treat a high
self_citation_pctas proof of misconduct; field norms and collaboration patterns differ. - For named universities and field mix, use China top universities and China field strengths.
- When you cite a paper, the Journal Quality Report is the journal-side companion.
China cluster and related Directory pages
- China Top 2% universities 2026
- China top researchers 2026
- China self-cited scientists 2026 (this page)
- China field strengths 2026
- Find, verify, and cite a China Top 2% scientist
- China Top 2% directory 2026 (hub)
- Malaysia Top 2% universities 2026
- Malaysia Top 2% directory 2026
- India Top 2% universities 2026
- India Top 2% directory 2026
- Bangladesh Top 2% directory 2026
- USA Top 2% universities 2026
- United States Top 2% directory 2026
- Journal Quality Report on ABS Nexora
- Directory home
- Directory search
- China country analytics
- Analytics workspace
FAQ
Who is the most self-cited China Top 2% scientist in this snapshot? On self_citation_pct, Guo, Guangbao leads the China-scoped author ranking at 92.31% (364 citations).
Is China a high self-citation country? Not as an outlier. The China mean is about 9.80%, rank 115 of 170 — below India and Bangladesh. The list has 35,681 scholars.
Why do some China names show 70–90% self-citation? The ranking is a percentage. Small citation totals produce large percentages. Read the citation column.
What API field should I quote? Quote self_citation_pct for a person and avg_self_citation_pct for China. Do not relabel them as “self-citation count.”
Does a high percentage mean the scholar is not influential? Not by itself. Check rank_all, rank_ns, field, and the full profile — e.g. Gaidai, Oleg (rank 4,913; 1,739 citations).
Where can I reproduce the China list? /api/analytics/self-citation/authors?scope=country&entity=chn&listing=single_year and the China country page analytics views.
How do I cite a China Top 2% scientist after checking self-citation? Follow how to find, verify, and cite: name, listing (single-year vs career), year, rank, and the live scholar URL.